this post was submitted on 27 Feb 2024
57 points (100.0% liked)

196

16431 readers
1698 users here now

Be sure to follow the rule before you head out.

Rule: You must post before you leave.

^other^ ^rules^

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
greembow@lemmy.blahaj.zone
moss@lemmy.blahaj.zone
moss@lemmy.world
queue@beehaw.org
funky_rodent@lemmy.blahaj.zone
PeachyMcPeachface@lemmy.blahaj.zone
threegnomes@lemmy.blahaj.zone
greembow@lemmy.world
remotelove@lemmy.ca
Roflmasterbigpimp@feddit.de
qaz@lemmy.world
A_Very_Big_Fan@lemm.ee
qaz@lemmy.blahaj.zone
qaz@lemmy.ca
A_Very_Big_Fan@lemmy.world
qaz@lemmy.dbzer0.com
Qaz@lemmy.ml
qaz@sh.itjust.works
qaz@lemmy.sdf.org
57
Apolitical Rule (links.rocks)
submitted 8 months ago by paperemail@links.rocks to c/196@lemmy.blahaj.zone
34 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Pipoca@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

Apparently that might or might not be a mistranslation?

https://www.etymonline.com/word/checkmate

mid-14c., in chess, said of a king when it is in check and cannot escape it, from Old French eschec mat (Modern French échec et mat), which (with Spanish jaque y mate, Italian scacco-matto) is from Arabic shah mat "the king died" (see check (n.1)), which according to Barnhart is a misinterpretation of Persian mat "be astonished" as mata "to die," mat "he is dead." Hence Persian shah mat, if it is the ultimate source of the word, would be literally "the king is left helpless, the king is stumped."